Turn My World
by J.E. Wells
Summary: Sarah and Jareth are pushed together on the same side as the must battle an Elf King and solve the Labyrinth to get their lives back to normal...well, as normal as it gets for them.
1. Chapter 1

_**Turn My World**_

_**Chapter One: Differences and Similarities**_

The owl's mismatched eyes blinked as the light left the window he had been sitting in front of all night. She had waved at each creature as they re-entered the mirror; a few earned tight hugs and the dwarf had gotten himself another kiss on the end of his bulbous nose.

_He should be thrown in the Bog for that_, the owl thought, shifting uncomfortable on his branch. Though, the whole Bog of Eternal Stench seemed rather pointless now. It all seemed pointless. She had beaten _him_. Worse yet, at his own game.

The soft golden bird watched as the girl's dark figure fell into her bed.

He had seen her place the careful chosen trinkets he had placed in her life into her dresser. Not a permanent place, he knew. Still, the owl bristled as he watched her put all of him away. Though, he had hoped that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him for the brief moment that it looked like she was about to stroke the statue's face that resembled him.

Either way, if she wanted to remember or not, she would return. A deal was a deal after all, and while she might have freed her half-brother, the girl was hardly free herself. He had time.

And he would use it.

*~*

"You want to cut it _all_ off?"

"All of it, Nadine," Sarah said, trying to not run her fingers through her dark hair. "I have to."

"Sarah, sweetheart, this is insane." Nadine pulled gently on Sarah's locks as if they were expensive silk, Nadine's own cocoa colored skin nearly blending in. "I know you want the role, but can't you just, I don't know, wear a wig?"

The young woman shook her head. "A wig is too expensive, and the easier it is to dress me up for the part, the better. You know how it is, Nadine." Sarah turned to her friend, sea green eyes stood bright in a pale face of twenty.

Nadine sighed. "I know, I know. I just hate to see it get…chopped off."

"I don't," Sarah whispered. Five years of waiting for something to happen. It was time to let go.

Nadine picked up the scissors, Sarah attempting not to cringe as she began to chop off Sarah's simple look. How had the under-styled mess of shadows ever caught an eye? Especially those two mismatched ones…

"…Are you even listening to me?"

"Huh?" Sarah jolted from her daydreaming. Piercing blue and autumnal brown danced in front of her vision as she looked up to Nadine.

"Sarah, you really need to start paying attention more." Nadine rolled her purple contact filled eyes and continued cutting. "I was asking you if that cute director was going to be the one _auditioning_ you."

"If that was some type of sexual innuendo, I hate to tell you but, I missed it."

"Oh my god, girl! You're killing me!" The scissors began to do a mock dance of a musketeer's sword. Sarah flinched. "You probably haven't even talked to him! Didn't he ask you for a date?"

"Coffee. There's a difference."

"Difference my ass."

Sarah grabbed Nadine's hand and pointed to her half way completed hair. The hairdresser began to finish.

"Look, Sar"—Sarah cringed internally at the nickname—"I just want you to be happy."

The cringe had taken too much of Sarah's energy so she permitted herself a small sigh. "No, you just want a Barbie doll."

"Well, that too." Sarah's friend grinned and then turned the chair away from the mirror.

Sarah listened to the quick _snips_ and tried to remain calm. Dates were hard for a girl who had been wooed in the most unorthodox way by royalty. _Magical _royalty. A simple coffee date could hardly compare to being lost in a tricked out maze and the threat of smelling eternally awful by being thrown into some murky water.

"It's done," Nadine whispered dramatically. She then ripped off the black material and allowed Sarah's useless locks to flit to the ground.

"Wow."

Sarah stared at the stranger in the mirror. Short spikes of hair now flared around her pale face. She gingerly touched a wild piece and brushed it behind her ear where it only popped back into its original spot in the defiant mess.

Nadine watched her friend, tears in her eyes. "It'll grow back. I know, I'm being stupid, but you're hair was so pretty, Sar. I mean it looks good now but you look so different. You're not like the little fairytale princess anymore that you usually look like. Oh, I feel so awful for doing this to you! Oh, Sarah, it'll grow back! It'll grow…"

"I love it."

"W-what?"

Sarah turned to her friend. The grin on her face reached her eyes and made them glint elfishly.

"It's perfect. It's exactly what I needed." Sarah gave the speechless hairdresser a quick hug. "Look, I'll leave the money on the counter. I've gotta run before I'm late. Bye, Nadine. Thanks!"

Nadine waved pathetically to the back of the running actress.

"She's always been so strange," she told the barber's chair as she swept the hair from around it.

*~*

Sarah shoved her way through the gaggle of potential actors loitering around the sign up table. Snagging herself an audition sheet, she slumped against a wall and pulled out a pen from her bag, then began to chicken scratch her name onto the sheet using her thigh as a table.

"You know, you could always try a table."

Sarah's head popped up. "Jack! I thought you didn't audition for the small stuff."

"I don't," Jack replied, flashing a practiced grin against sand colored skin. "But I'm here for a friend. Here, you can use this." He handed her a clipboard.

"Friend?" Sarah asked as she began to finish the audition sheet.

"The director of this little play. He asked for me to watch the auditions with him."

Sarah felt her face begin to heat up. "Drake Park?"

Jack grinned at the younger girl's blush. "You know him?"

"I…"

"Uh-huh. Cute, right? Got you all flustered. Poor little Sarah."

Poor little Sarah scowled. "He didn't fluster me. He just asked me out for some coffee…"

Mahogany eyebrows shot up at the mention of "coffee." "And you brushed him off, didn't you?"

"Well, I was busy. I had scenes to work on."

Jack gave the same amount of frustration in his sigh as Nadine did her eye roll. "Sarah…"

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen!" A squeaky female voice came from the entrance to the small auditorium. "Please have your audition sheets ready and come inside!"

Jack ruffled Sarah's hair. "I'll see you on stage, kiddo." He began to saunter away. "By the way, nice haircut. Didn't want a wig?"

Sarah laughed. "How'd you guess?"

Jack winked, tapped his temple and went into the throng of thespians. Sarah waited until everyone had made their way to the door before stepping in line, bringing up the rear.

*~*

"Lady's gone!"

"Not funny! Lemme see!"

Two goblins sat around a small crystal orb. A third slept in a corner, unaware of the sudden terror that streaked across his companions' faces. A moment ago, the crystal held the image of Sarah striding into a room, gripping a piece of paper. Now the orb reflected only a black, swirling mess into the eyes of the two awake goblins.

"Fip! Fip! What we do? What we do?" The first goblin cried to his helmeted companion.

Fip, his helmet now askew and hanging by his mangled ear, stared slack-jaw at the now blackened crystal. The first goblin smacked the helmet off of Fip.

"FIP!"

"GIMP! SHUT UP! FIP THINKING!"

"FIP THINK FASTER! SHE GONE! _SHE GONE!_"

A rumpled voice came from the corner, "Who gone?"

"_She _gone!"

The third goblin rubbed his eyes and crawled over to the orb. His eyes bulged. "We must tell King."

Silence sat huddled in the corner, shaking in its boots.

"B-but, Zig…"

Zig shook his head then straightened his permanently wrinkled tunic. "King must know now. He get angrier longer we not tell."

Fip looked as if he needed his stuff chicken and Gimp began to do a strange combination of an Irish jig and a firey breakdown. Zig thumped the heel of his hand to his forehead. How had he ended up with the jitteriest goblins for guard duty?

"Fine," he grumbled, "_I _go. You watch crystal for change. Got it?"

He didn't wait for a nod and began to trot down the castle's corridors, his iron boots clomping on the stone as he went. Every shadow began to morph into the Goblin King's face shouting two words: "Zig" and "Bog."

Zig sprinted.

*~*

Sarah shivered as she entered the theatre's house. The lights were dimmed but the stage shone in front of the thespians' eyes. Sitting next to a blonde woman who was hurriedly smearing on lipstick, Sarah studied the stage. The skeleton of a set had already been placed upon it. Paint cans, pieces of muslin, overused brushes and miscellaneous tools lay scattered on the set and the stage, as if no one had really cared to what happened to them. A man walked between the skeletons and the chatter in the theatre died.

"Morning, all," the man's voice rang through the hall like a cello's song. "I'm Drake Park and I'll be the director of this little play." He brushed ebony painted hair off of his olive skinned forehead. He grinned and the smile was shockingly white. With one long hand he gestured to Jack who stood at the foot of the stage. "My overly pompous actor friend, Jack London, who found my life's work far too off Broadway to appear in my play, will be aiding me in the audition process. Wave for the nice people, Jack."

Jack mockingly scowled at Drake but waved anyways.

"I would have joined you just…"

"Didn't get enough beer in you, I know," Drake interrupted. This comment gained some laughter from the waiting actors.

"Well," Drake said, sticking his hands in his pockets and smiling lazily, "let's get started shall we? Numbers one through five on stage, please."

Drake Park strolled off stage and settled himself in the back of the audience as the first five actors walked on to the stage.

Sarah listened intently to the selection from the script. Unlike other performances she auditioned for, Sarah hadn't been able to get much information on Park's piece. It was rumored he kept everything secret until audition day, and even then it remained an enigma to the public. So far, Sarah could only piece together that this particular scene was a quarrel between two enemies…or maybe lovers? Either way, it wasn't very clear. Finding the right character for this would be difficult. Even the actresses who held the script seemed to be confused by the female character.

"Twenty and twenty-one to the stage. This'll be the last two, Drake," Jack called as he walked back from the stage.

Sarah stood up and attempted to block out all desire to run her fingers through her shortened hair as she strode onto the stage. The skeleton of a set loomed over her and as she took the script she noticed she was shaking. Oddly enough, this made her grin. The shaking made her feel alive and determined. Fear had no power over her.

"Alright. Well, let's change it up a bit. Twenty take the part of Jareth. Twenty-one, Sarah."

Sarah stopped shaking and stared down at the script. Her eyes darted into the darkness at the lip of the stage. How could he know? How did Park know about…

"Please," came the cello-smooth voice, "begin."

Twenty's voice broke Sarah from her gaze. "Tell me, Sarah, what do you think of my Labyrinth?"

"I-it's a piece of cake," Sarah replied. Her eyes had glazed over. She didn't need the script.

"So, the Labyrinth is a piece of cake, is it? Well, let's see how you deal with this little slice…"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two: Diamonds Over Rubies**_

Zig slid into the throne room, landing on his face as he entered.

Jareth, King of the Goblins and creator of the Labyrinth, turned to frown at the sudden din that had broken his quiet ruling. He had been attempting to add on a new section of the Labyrinth for the newest creatures that had escaped into his realm. They were large, terribly hideous and aquatic creatures. They would be perfect on the second level of the Labyrinth with a nine hundred and ninety-nine foot black, bone-chilling pool. He stopped the Labyrinth's magical construction and deepened his frown when he noticed the goblin.

"What now?"

Zig shivered himself onto his knees, hardly daring himself to gaze past the shinning black boots of his king.

"M-my Lord," Zig gasped, "the c-crystal. It's _black._"

The boots came up to Zig's nose so fast the goblin barely had time to squeal.

"_Which crystal?_"

"G-g-girl's!"

Zig's contained squeal erupted as he was hurtled into a nearby wall. When Zig looked up, the king had left.

*~*

"Thank you all for auditioning today. Callbacks should be sent out by Thursday. Have a nice night!"

Drake Parker had appeared at the front of the stage without Sarah noticing. He turned to her beaming. Sarah nearly jumped when she saw his eyes up close. Two different colors bore into her—steely gray and forest green.

"Might I have a word, Ms. Williams?"

Sarah pulled herself back into focus. She nodded.

The actress and director watched as everyone left the chilly auditorium. Neither said a word. Drake began to straighten a pile of the scripts and gave a few cheerful good-byes to those who were leaving. After a few moments of silence, he held out his hand to Sarah. She looked down at it in confusion.

"You have my script, Ms. Williams," Drake explained with a smile.

Sarah, however, did not return the script, but clutched it tighter. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Drake leaned back, putting one hand in his pocket and leaving the other to dangle at his side. "Joke?"

"How," Sarah said through gritted teeth, "did you know about _him_?"

"Him? Ms. Williams, I'm afraid I don't…"

"Don't try that with me," Sarah growled. "What are you? A goblin? Some kind of monster _he _created?"

Drake grinned. "And they say mortals can't be entertaining. I can see why he's so fond of you. But Jareth never did learn how to keep his playthings simply to playing." Drake gave a deep bow and as he did so, his hair grew wilder and thicker. His clothing shifted from the simple Oxford shirt to a billowy poet and when he straightened again, his head now held a circlet with a red ruby in the center. "Kader, the Elf King. Please to meet you, Ms. Williams."

Sarah charged at the newest freak to enter her life. The script came within inches of Kader's face before Sarah screamed and fell to her knees.

"Now, now, Ms. Williams," Kader said calmly. "I've really got very little time and I do need you to cooperate."

He let go of Sarah and she fell onto the stage, clutching her arm. She scrambled up quickly and backed away from Kader. Her arm was on fire from where he touched her.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Really, Ms. Williams, all I need if a little of your time." He began to walk towards her, hand outstretched. "There's really no need to be so frightened of me."

Sarah leapt off the stage, landing on the balls of her feet. She pushed herself off to the door, which slammed itself shut.

A sigh came from the stage. "Really, Ms. Williams, you're quite dramatic, even for an actress. Please, just a moment of your time?"

"No! I'm done with you freaks!" Sarah slammed herself against the door. It didn't budge. Flipping around, she scanned the room for a second escape.

"Ms. Williams," a voice whispered beside her, "I must insist."

Sarah's body slammed against the wall. Her feet dangled a few inches off the ground as she stared into both the wildest of sea storms and darkest of forests. Sarah gasped for air as Kader's hand held her up by the throat.

"There, that's much better." Kader smiled kindly and pulled a diamond encrusted knife from the air. He twirled it between the fingers of his empty hand casually.

"You're probably wondering why I need you so badly," Kader continued, his tone conversational, "I'm sure after a few minutes you've discovered how…persuasive I can be by myself when I'm using my magic, but you see, I have a small issue." Here, Kader stopped twirling the knife between his fingers. "I need a bit more leg room, as of late, you know, more elves coming in, and really, I've always fancied having a giant maze in the backyard. Thought it would impress the guests, maybe get rid of a few of those annoying politicians while I'm at it." Kader chuckled to himself and pressed the knife into Sarah's stomach. "But, I just haven't got the right magic to get myself a pretty little maze. And the only one of interest belongs to your sweet little Goblin King. So, Ms. Williams, I'm sorry to say, but I'm going to have to drain you a bit here since you _do _have the magic I'm looking for."

He smiled up at her then plunged the knife into her stomach.

*~*

Jareth appeared next to two goblins. He briefly wondered why he had ever put them on guard duty; one looked as if he needed a stuffed chicken to cuddle with and the other was doing some Irish jig/firey breakdown dance.

The Goblin King, not wanting to question either of the two incompetent guards, bent down and plucked the black filled crystal from the pedestal it sat on. His mismatched eyes narrowed. Only very powerful magic could stop the crystal.

"Where is she?" He barked at the goblins. The two guards now began to scramble around in complete terror now. Jareth placed a gloved finger on his twitching right eye. Of all the creatures he could have been king of he just had to pick _goblins_.

But it had just sounded so impressive at the time…

Jareth removed the finger from his face and touched it to the top of the crystal. Everything began to rewind itself in a fast blur. He finally stopped it and nearly dropped the crystal.

No longer did the slender figure have a sheet of glossy black fanning behind her. No. She'd cut it all off! She looked like one of those ridiculous pixies! Jareth snorted to hold back his shout of anger. How could she do that? How could she cut it all off!

"King! King!" Someone was tugging on Jareth's coattails.

"What," the king barely breathed.

"Lady! Lady in trouble!"

Jareth snarled. "I realize that!"

He then smashed the crystal onto the floor and disappeared.

"King mad," Gimp whispered as he put his helmet back on his head.

Fip nodded slowly. He really needed his stuffed chicken now.

*~*

"A few more minutes, Ms. Williams."

Kader patted Sarah's cheek lightly. She wanted to spit in his face but could hardly move from the dagger that now sat in her stomach.

Though Sarah had never had a dagger plunged into her gut before, she was pretty sure that she shouldn't feel as if the thing was sucking out her blood, instead of just allowing it to dribble carelessly on the carpet. Sarah's eyes flickered drowsily over the dagger's hilt and noted groggily that the diamonds had begun to appear more like rubies. Crimson filled in the diamonds that glinted hungrily in her eyes.

Kader looked down at his watch patiently. No sense in rushing decent black magic. He flicked his pocket watch shut and began to pull on his white silk gloves. He could feel himself oozing magic and didn't feel very much like wasting it all on some mortal girl.

He cocked his head to peer at the gradually changing diamonds and gave Sarah a warm smile. "Ah, wanting to glower at me, I suppose? I am sorry, my dear, but your heroic glowering will be slightly prevented since my lovely dagger has to paralysis its victim as it takes their blood. I'm sure you understand. This is, after all, business. Nothing personal."

A loud banging sounded from the door. Sarah had a brief moment of hope to being saved.

"Don't fret, Ms. Williams. No one will disturb us with the protective barriers I've put around us." He crouched down next to her, his teeth glistening magnificently. "So, there are no worries. Please just continue to relax. No sense in fussing anything up."

Sarah tried to scream when the pounding suddenly stopped.

"Ah, there we go. Finally, some peace and quiet."

A loud screech came as the door sucked inwards. Jareth stood in the doorway, twirling a crystal ball calmly in his hand.

"Hello, Kader, you worthless piece of bog scum, glad to see you slinking around," Jareth called cheerfully as he strolled into the room.

Kader neither seem surprised nor angered by Jareth's entrance. "My dear Goblin King, how wonderful to see you too! I was just finishing with Ms. Williams here. I'll be with you in a moment."

Jareth's eyes darted to Sarah and then flashed back to the Elf King. "No, Kader," Jareth said darkly, "you'll deal with me now."

The Elf King grinned. "Always the impatient one." He watched Jareth's gaze fall back to the knife in Sarah's stomach. "Ah yes, you'll notice my little dagger working on Ms. Williams right now. Really, Jareth, give me a few more seconds and I can get to you. I just hate to turn away from a lady."

Jareth moved to Sarah and crouched next to her. He slowly turned his hand over the hilt of the dagger but made sure not to touch it. He couldn't remove it.

"Get it out of her now, Kader."

"I would, but I just put on my new gloves and I'd hate for them to get dirty. Though, you could always ask Ms. Williams. We'll test just how _amazing _your little mortal is."

Sarah pushed herself to stay awake. She listened to the conversation, her ears felt as if they were stuffed with cotton. Kader's voice was easy to find but the second's seemed only a memory. An intense one, but she couldn't grasp where it was from…

Jareth leapt from his crouching position. Kader reeled back, preparing for the attack. Jareth's body hung in midair and suddenly disappeared. Kader fell to the ground. Jareth had reappeared behind him. Pulling a crystal from the air, Jareth placed the small orb near Kader's temple.

"Move it or you'll soon be able to join the fireys in their dismemberment dance," the Goblin King growled, pushing the crystal closer to Kader's face.

Kader grinned. "Really, I thought the Goblin_ King _would be able to threaten someone better than this."

"DO IT NOW, KADER!"

But, the threat wasn't needed. As Kader threw the Goblin King off of him, the almost-ruby covered dagger sunk into the back of his thigh.

Sarah, sweat-covered and breathing raggedly, dropped her hand from the hilt to cover he wounded stomach. Kader's face flickered with hate as he staggered backwards, pulling the dagger from his leg. He watched as the dagger's jewels turned a deep green.

"Clever little mortal, aren't you?" Kader's smile glared down at Sarah as she held on to her wounded stomach. "But don't worry, dear. I'll be back." He flashed a grin to the charging Jareth and, with a small bow, disappeared.

"Sarah! Sarah!"

The voice was so familiar. If only she could place a name to it… If only the world wasn't drowning in an autumn filled sea…

"Sarah…Sarah…"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three: Crystal For Your Thoughts?**_

_Sarah thrashed between the waves that now attempted to crush her body and fill her lungs. The water was a disturbing mix of deathly gray and serpent green. The liquid that had fallen into her throat burned her senses until she began to sink beneath the wild surface. Darkness swarmed her hungrily. Her terror rose as it shot into her torso like an arrow then pulled itself out of her back like grotesque crimson wings. _

_Her eyes begin to drift into a painful sleep, flickering the more the wings grew from behind her. Sarah barely noticed the gentle change of the gray-green water's color as it shifted to an electric blue and fawn brown. The newly colored water swirled around the black arrow that streamed through Sarah's body. Faster and faster, Sarah was forced to close her eyes as the water grew brighter and the arrow dissolved. She could feel the bloody wings breaking from her back and dissolving along with the arrow. _

_All that was left was the comforting blue-brown sea. Sarah breathed in the water and relaxed as the sea suspended her gently in its body. As Sarah's eyes began to close, she thought she heard the sea sigh with her…_

Jareth leaned back in the chair next to Sarah's bed and sighed. Pulling on one of his gloves, he watched the young woman sleep peacefully. The spell would heal her body and rid it of any poison that the dagger might have been laced with, but it would also keep her in a blissful sleep for a few hours before he would have to face her bewilderment. Or, more likely anger. He grinned at the thought of those green eyes flashing at him once again. It would be better compared to the sleep-spelled maiden who lay before him.

He placed his head in his gloved hand and let the other dangle freely over the side of the chair. He needed a few moments to gain back some energy before he attempted to strengthen the older protection spells he had placed on the apartment a few years ago. Jareth watched Sarah's tea-rose lips part as her breathing became deeper and slower. Her dark lashes, occasionally fluttering from her dreams, brushed her pearl-like skin. Jareth wanted to sigh again when he saw the color return to her cheeks. He brought his ungloved hand to the sweet pink flesh and stroked a single finger down to the sleeping woman's jaw line. He frowned at the shortened hair and felt tempted to lengthen it, but decided that he had work to do.

Rising, he made his way around the apartment. It was odd to view it in person. The crystals allowed him to see Sarah's new home and cast any protective spells he deemed were needed. But as Jareth's leather boots sunk into carpet, clicked onto linoleum and bumped into an assortment of furniture, he began to realize how little he knew of this new Sarah.

_New and _older _Sarah_, he thought. Her sleeping body with its curves and childless grace floated into his mind. He pushed the thought aside as he strengthened the spell that was wearing off the front door and stared at the locks that covered it, amused at the way humans thought to keep things out.

"Right up there with keys," he said aloud, then patted the door fondly. "Of course, you should hardly care about that now. You're the best damn door since the one leading into the Labyrinth. Though, you could do with some more sparkle…"

Jareth sauntered into the kitchen and rapped the counter. "Wine, now."

He waited for a breath and then glared at the large white rectangle that hummed pleasantly in response.

"Wine."

The humming continued. The Goblin King's eyes narrowed. He tilted his head back and gave a pointed smile.

"Obviously you did not hear me. As I am King of the Goblins, when I desire wine, I do not like to wait for it." He strode towards the humming creature and knocked on it violently. "Open. Open. Open! OPEN!"

It was very stress relieving to pound his fist against the creature's white body and shout at it. Going without a goblin tossing for too long _and _letting that prat Kader escape had a put a lot of stress on the king.

"Open…open...open...OPEN! OPEN! OPEN!"

"Could you perhaps _not _break my fridge?"

Jareth paused and let his arms drop. He straightened his shoulder and turned around. A sneer played on his face.

"This humming _beast _is worthless, Sarah. Why do you keep it?"

Sarah stared at the Goblin King with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. The man had just been threatening to dismember another person's head and now he was being defeated by a refrigerator. She walked past him, grabbed the handle and pulled it gently open, revealing its contents.

Jareth masked his surprise and embarrassment behind a cocked eyebrow and perfected mask of haughty indifference. "It's _still _worthless."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Sarah replied with a grin. "You wanted wine?"

Jareth nodded and the swept onto a nearby stool behind the counter, watching Sarah as she poured out a glass of wine and set it in front of him. She pulled out a bottle of water for herself. The silence was laced with quiet sipping and the clinking of glass and plastic against the counter. Eyes avoided each other.

"You saved me."

Jareth nearly choked on his wine but turned it into a deep growl of confirmation.

Sarah studied him. Her green eyes seemed to bore into his sharp face. He turned to her, holding her gaze. The sudden mix of color and passion made Sarah lean back. Twenty-years-old and she still couldn't handle the way those mismatched eyes seemed to focus only on her.

"I won't ask _why _you came to save me," Sarah said steadily. "But _how_?"

"How?" Jareth repeated.

"Yes. How did you know I was in trouble?"

Jareth turned away from her and looked at a teddy-bear shaped cookie jar that waved at him gleefully while stuffing a cookie in its mouth. He suddenly wished to be that blissfully ignorant cookie jar bear, stuffing a cookie in his mouth and accepting that people would be sticking their hands to steal his sugar-made organs until he was broken or sent to some second hand shop where an old granny would buy him for her second least favorite grandson as a wedding gift. Sadly, he was still a king and knew that he had to live up to the expectations that came with the pants he wore. He got some balls and said;

"I have you watched."

Silence erupted.

"You _what_?"

Jareth didn't look at her. Though, from the corner of his eye, he noted that the water bottle was now being contorted into a plastic mess.

He sighed. Sometimes wearing the tight pants in the kingdom was harder than it looked. "I have you watched. It is for your own protection."

"My own—who the hell do you—why the hell would you…! YOU SEE ME SHOWER?"

Jareth turned full on towards the girl. Her green eyes flashed like knives and her hair seemed almost electrified with fury from its new style.

"Sarah," his voice was dark as he leaned in close to her, "I am a powerful king and magical being with the animal magnetism of every ferocious beast extinct, existing and yet to be made. I have made mortal women, Fae _and _magical creature swoon at the mere sight of me—not to mention when I sing. If you think I need to watch you shower through a crystal ball to get my thrills, you are gravely mistaken."

Sarah had grasped onto the counter during the Goblin King's monologue, hoping that it appeared she was more furious than in need of something to hold her up.

"Fine," she grunted. "But that hardly gives you an excuse to watch me otherwise!"

"Again, for your protection. Obviously, it worked well for today."

Sarah placed a hand on her stomach from where the dagger had entered her. Yes, it had been useful today.

"He needed my blood, my…magic." Sarah set the bottle aside and looked at its twisted body. "But, I'm human, aren't I?"

"Yes," Jareth answered, drinking more of his wine. "However, you are tainted."

"Tainted?"

Jareth nodded. "Your interaction with the Labyrinth, and with me, has left traces of magic on you. However, it's due more to that you solved the Labyrinth." His eyes blazed as he looked at her bewildered face. "And no one has solved the Labyrinth in a long time."

"And that left my blood with enough magic for elf-boy to need me?"

"It's well…magic is not always so straightforward, Sarah," Jareth seemed to be grasping for the right words. "There are factors that we could all be unaware of about you and your…predicament."

Sarah stared hard at the Goblin King. He was hiding something. Something important.

Before she could open her mouth, Jareth stood up and straightened his leather jacket. "Well, I have to prepare for a war it seems. I will be sending a few of my most trusted goblins to reside with you until this is all over." He walked away.

"What? Wait _a _minute!" Sarah leapt from behind the counter and grabbed the back of Jareth's coattails. "You can't just waltz in here and declare you're spying on me and then sending in some goblins to wreck my house without even a decent explanation! That's not fair!"

Sarah was expecting that when the Goblin King turned around he would be glaring at her but instead a smile danced on his lips.

Oh, this was too easy. He leaned in close to her and whispered, "You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is?"

He felt the heat radiate from her skin and his smile widened. "Goodbye, Sarah. Until we meet again."

He swept into her room. She sucked in the air around her to calm herself but found that his scent still hung in the room, making her knees feel worse than before.

From the other room she heard, "What the devil is this?"

"What's wrong?" Sarah appeared in the doorway. Jareth was glaring at her mirror.

"I should be able to leave this way," he growled, "but someone has apparently closed me off from my own kingdom."

He pulled a crystal from the air and glared into it. Sarah walked towards him and peered into the crystal herself. She let out a small gasp at what the crystal reflected.

The crystal looked down upon the Labyrinth. However, this was not the Labyrinth Sarah had once ventured into—chunks of it had been torn out, the walls brimming with fire. Goblin-sized figures prowled over the broken terrain, but as Jareth moved the crystal's view closer, they did not find goblins but…

"Elves. Those are damn _elves _destroying _my _labyrinth!" Jareth's hair stood on end and his eyes shone with fury.

Sarah looked back to the crystal and nearly flinched at the faces that shown inside it. The elves were no better than goblins when it came to looks. Their skin ranged from burnt oatmeal to a thick mud color and their silver eyes glinted wickedly as they knocked down bricks and set what they could on fire. Sharp teeth gnashed violently as the elves began to bicker at one another. Their skinny bodies clambered around, occasionally smacking one of their companions with a small hand or stone.

"But I thought elves were…" Sarah stopped and thought how stupid she would sound saying "cute". "I thought they were at least not so…violent and horrible looking."

"They shouldn't be," Jareth said darkly, his anger vibrating under every word. "Kader has done something to these elves. They have been cursed."

"Why would he curse his own subjects?"

"He has not always been the Elf King. He once ruled darker creatures until the High Court came and destroyed them all." Jareth caught Sarah's confused look and said, "They were a failed experiment. Things that should not have existed. In compensation, the High Court gave Kader the elves." Jareth's face grew dark once again. "But he seems to grow tired of his new kingdom…"

Sarah said nothing but watched the Goblin King pace her room, murmuring to himself as he paced.

Jareth felt a thousand ideas rush through his mind as he stalked the room like a jungle cat. How would he get back to the Labyrinth? Kader would soon make it to the Goblin City and then he would take over the castle. The goblins wouldn't be able to hold them off for too long and it looked as if the intruders were capturing the creatures from the Labyrinth they came across. He was trapped and his kingdom was being devoured by some mad loon who thought he could pull of Jareth's style of pants…

"Stay here."

Jareth stopped and looked dazed. "What?"

"You can't leave and it's not like you should be by yourself right now. Kader could come back—for either of us," Sarah said, trying not to shudder. "We can think of a way to get back…together."

It took Jareth every bit of restraint he had to not let his jaw unclench and fall open in astonishment. Stay here? With _Sarah_?

He nodded in acceptance.

"OK," Sarah said, giving him a small smile. "You can sleep on the couch. I have some spare sheets. We'll think of something in the morning, alright?"

"Sarah, I…"

"Save it. At least this way you can't spy on me without making it so I can't hit you if need be." She grinned mischievously at him. He grinned back.

Jareth watched her leave the room to get the spare sheets. His smile faded as he looked back down at the crystal. The Labyrinth burned brighter and the creatures that had come to his kingdom for refuge were either being rounded up in cages or attempting to escape and being dragged down by skeletal elf fingers.

What was he going to do?


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four: Bus Organs and Bookshelves**_

__"Hey! Are you up yet, Your Highness?"

Jareth rubbed a gloved hand over his face. It wasn't that Sarah's couch wasn't comfortable, but the thoughts of his Labyrinth and subjects burning to death kept his eyes glued to the ceiling all night.

However, the ceiling was much more welcoming with the sun's rays on it and a beautiful face staring down at him.

"Ah Sarah," he purred. "Good morning."

Sarah blushed. _Normal _people sounded like they had just gargled rocks when they woke up. Jareth sounded like he had soaked his vocal cords in rose water and then painted them with sex.

"Look, breakfast is on the counter. Just stay here for the day. I have work." She turned to leave but Jareth leapt over the back of the couch with the ease of a cat and blocked her way. Sarah glared up at him, pulling her bag tightly over her shoulder. "Move."

"I want to go with you."

"You _what_?"

"I want to go with you," Jareth repeated patiently. "I think it wise that I remain close to you, in order to protect you."

Sarah's eyebrows knotted. "I can handle it." She moved around him but he leapt in front of her again.

"Jareth! Move!"

"I will not," Jareth growled. He walked forward, pushing Sarah into the back of the couch. Their bodies were only a few centimeters apart.

"Sarah"—his voice drew her attention to his darkening eyes—"Kader nearly _killed _you. Yes, you were able to beat the spell and pull the dagger out of yourself but you might not get so lucky next time." Sarah made a small noise of disagreement at the word "lucky." He placed a finger to her lips. "No, Sarah. You need to listen to me—for once. Let me protect you. Please."

His eyes poured into hers pleadingly. Sarah blushed again and grumbled, "Fine."

Jareth's face brightened but he held back the smile he wanted to give to her. "Good. Now, we may leave…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Sarah cried, stopping him from moving to the door this time. "You can't go out dressed like that! People will…"

"Swoon? Yes, I suppose you're right." Jareth glanced around the room and moved to the coffee table. Picking up a magazine, he flipped through the pages until he seemed satisfied. "Here we are. Attire fit for a king in disguise."

Sweeping a hand over himself, Jareth's clothes began to shift and wriggle. Leather changed to denim and billowed sleeves shrank to fit the wearer's body. His leather jacket pulled into itself, making a fashionable vest and the tall black boots grew shorter, tucking themselves under the jeans.

"How do I look?" Jareth said, flashing a smile.

_Hot. Incredibly sexy. Amazing in those jeans. Possibly edible. _"Your gloves," Sarah said, her throat practically strangling itself from wanting to echo what her mind thought.

Jareth studied his hands. "Hmm…a bit more difficult." The gloves pulled themselves in around his wrists and cropped off the fingertips. He watched some of his magic slip from the exposed pieces of flesh but reeled it in easily. He would have to watch that today.

"What was that?" Sarah asked, staring at the Goblin King's hands.

"What was what?"

She studied him carefully. It had felt like as if a ripple of water had vibrated through the room when he shortened his gloves. But, by the way his face was trying to appear innocent she decided there was no reason to push the topic.

"Let's just go," she sighed and made her way out the door.

"Sarah," Jareth said, as she trotted down the stairs ahead of him, "what do you do here?"

"What do you mean 'here'?" She began to exit the stairwell, holding the door open for him.

"Aboveground," he answered.

"I work in a book store."

Jareth seemed to contemplate the worth a book store could be as a workplace. "Any goblins to throw out windows?"

"No."

"How about a bog for those who disobey your command?"

"No."

"What about goblin cannonballs that impale…"

"No! And stop talking about that stuff in public!" She hissed at him as they walked outside. March greeted the couple with a crisp wind and weak sun and Sarah inhaled the city's perfume of coffee shops, over used cologne and morning joggers. Jareth walked gracefully beside her and, from the corner of her eye, she noticed that he had an odd way of fitting in and yet _not _fit inall at the same time. His blonde hair danced wildly in the March air and his eyes glittered as he took in the city. Sarah suppressed a laugh from the ridiculous position she was in. What killed the ridiculousness of the situation was the idea that some psycho was out to murder her.

Sarah stopped at the corner where the bench to the bus sat with its graffiti body. The bus rolled to a stop at the corner and Sarah stepped into it, flashing her bus pass and dropping some coins in for Jareth. She looked over her shoulder and saw the Goblin King staring at the bus as if it were a mutant beast.

"Come on. We need to hurry or I'll be late," Sarah said, facing him with her hands on her hips.

Jareth took a tentative step towards the rumbling bus and entered warily, flexing his hand agitatedly. Sarah grabbed a hand rail and smirked at him. Jareth chose to stand in the middle of the aisle, as if afraid to touch the inside of the bus or the people in it.

"You might want to hold on to something," Sarah remarked when the bus's doors hissed shut, making Jareth jerk slightly.

He scooted closer to her. "You want me to _touch _this beast's organs?"

Sarah bit back the giggle that formed at her lips. The bus lurched forward and Jareth's eyes went wide as he lost his balance and fell into Sarah. His arms wrapped around her body as he struggled to regain balance. Sarah struggled to hold herself up as the bus kept lurching forward with a cough. Jareth's hands reached out blindly to the hand rail behind Sarah and he straightened himself up, enjoying how when he did his body moved over Sarah's.

Sarah's face was on fire as Jareth looked down at her with a grin. "Would you get off of me now?"

"It's a bit too cramped in here, my dear. And besides"—his grin remained as he pushed his knee gently between her legs—"I'd rather stay close."

"If you don't want him, honey," a raspy voice said from beside them, "I'll take 'em."

A woman, who looked like she could have been somewhere between twenty and fifty, grinned up at them. Her overly bleached hair, freakishly blue eye shadow and painfully tanned skin made Jareth wince. And people thought the creatures in the Labyrinth were frightening.

Jareth scuttled behind Sarah. "I'll hold onto the beast's organs now."

"Good Goblin King."

The Bookshelf popped up and Sarah pulled Jareth off the bus, making a beeline to the book store. The door jingled as Sarah pushed it open and she waved at the man behind the counter. Putting his glasses onto his head, he nodded at her and said, "You're late."

"Sorry, Marc," she replied, putting her coat on a rack. "My…friend had some issues on the bus."

Marc looked Jareth over who gave Marc his haughty look number eight. This _human _was a bit too attractive for the King's tastes in Sarah's co-workers. Blue eyes held to the mismatched ones. Marc scratched his head, running fingers through dark red hair.

"Who's your friend?"

"Umm…"

"Never mind," Marc said, standing up and putting the book he was reading back onto a nearby shelf, "just don't get distracted by your 'friend.' I don't want you taken away from your work, understood?"

Sarah nodded her head. "Of course."

"Good." Marc's eyes softened as ruffled Sarah's hair. "What did you do to your hair?"

"It was for an audition." Sarah answered with a smile.

"You're insane." He laughed and shrugged on a coat. "Look, I've got a meeting. I'll bring back some coffee and doughnuts when I'm done though. Strawberry jelly and chocolate, yeah?"

"You know me so well," Sarah replied laughing.

Marc smiled and opened the door. "See you in a bit."

As the door closed, Jareth turned to Sarah who had made herself comfortable behind the counter. "Who was _he_?"

Sarah looked up in surprise as if to see him there. "My boss, Marc. Why? Think he wants to steal your kingdom or something?"

"As if he would be smart enough," Jareth remarked acidly.

Sarah frowned. "There's no reason to be a prick. He's just being nice."

"Too nice, if you ask me."

"Well no one was asking, were they? So just sit over there, pick something to read and let me do my job." Sarah stood up abruptly and stomped into another room.

Jareth blinked. Why was she the one who was mad? She had no right. Here she was flirting with some red-headed leprechaun and _he _had risked his life to save her! Insolent woman! Jareth plopped down into the chair closest to him and dangled a leg over the side of the chair, settling himself into his favorite brooding position.

Sarah slammed a few books into the shelves in the children's room. A faerie fell on top of her head and onto the floor. She picked it up and glared down at it. Damn faeries. They're what got her into this whole mess. She gets thrown into another world, has to face dangers untold and then has to deal with an arrogant faerie king brooding in the other room! She plopped onto a bean bag chair and glared more at the faerie plush toy. Its stitched on smile and blue button eyes beamed back at her. Sarah held up her arm as to throw it across the room but then lowered it and set the doll in her lap. It was hard to throw away the small things that reminded her of her mother. She was the one who had started her love of magic in the first place.

The jingling of a bell pulled Sarah from her thoughts. She went back to the main room of the shop and held back the scream that nearly escaped her lips.

Small, terrible looking creatures swarmed Jareth as he fought vainly to pull them off. Sarah grabbed a book off a nearby shelf and threw it at one of the creatures, hitting it squarely on the back of the head. It fell off of Jareth, taking one of its companions with it. The two creatures, who looked like the elves she had seen in the crystal, screeched and glared at Sarah who had already begun to fling other books at the swarm.

Jareth stuck a hand out of the mess of elves. Sarah sprinted forward, grabbed his hand and pulled. Most of the monsters fell off but Sarah had to swat a few off with her book. She looked to Jareth and was about to ask how he was when he pulled her down to the floor.

A sword shot through the air and stung itself into a bookshelf.

"Damn. So close," a smooth voice said.

Jareth glared up at Kader but didn't move from being on top of Sarah. Sarah craned her neck and peered at Kader from her upside down position.

"Swords, Kader? Are you so primeval as to need a _human _weapon?" Jareth sneered.

Kader raised a delicate eyebrow. "You're one to talk, Goblin King. Are you so primeval as to _sleep _with a human?"

Sarah felt her face grow hot as she noticed how close Jareth actually was. She could feel his body shake with anger as he practically growled at Kader. Jareth moved off of Sarah, and then pulled her to her feet, pushing the girl behind him.

"No retort? I'm disappointed, Jareth," Kader continued, straightening his jacket. "But I suppose you're just a bit shaken since you've seen what I've been doing to your Labyrinth." He smiled and stepped forward. "You could make this much easier and just give me what I want."

Jareth's hand tightened on Sarah's arm. It wasn't an angry motion but a protective one. Did Kader want her? Sarah's mind tried to swallow the idea but couldn't find a reason for it.

Kader sighed. "No? Well, I suppose we'll just have to do this the hard way." He snapped his fingers and Sarah felt her hair, arms and legs been held painfully back. She was pulled away from Jareth.

Sarah didn't scream as she was pulled back, but instead flailed her arms and legs, scratching or kicking the creatures as they swarmed her.

Jareth dashed towards Sarah. Grabbing her arm, he attempted to wrench her out of the pile of elves. The mutated things dragged him back from the fighting Sarah. Losing his patience now, Jareth's body began to hum with power. Pushing a hand out from the mass of elves, he sent his magic to the bookshelves. The books sprung to life and attacked the elves like angry hummingbirds. Jareth waded through the book-elf war and picked up Sarah. He gave a dark look to where Kader had been standing and began to shake with fury when he saw the coward making his way through a portal that zipped itself closed as the Elf King entered it.

The elves, seeing their master had gone, disappeared too. Popping away to their master one by one, the books had nothing left to attack and fell, dismayed, onto the floor.

"Damn it," Jareth whispered.

"Jareth"—he looked down in surprise, it was the first time she had called him by name—"what aren't you telling me?"

He felt her shaking in his arms. Her voice, however, remained calm. He wanted to pull her tighter to his chest for her bravery but decided now was not the time. He put her back on her feet and said, "I can't tell you, Sarah."

She glared at him. "Can't tell me? Why not? I should know everything if I'm helping you! You can't keep secrets! This isn't like last time, Jareth! We're on the _same side_."

Jareth said nothing. She couldn't know. Not yet.

"Fine. Fine!" Sarah grabbed her jacket and made for the door. Flipping around, Jareth almost winced at her blazing green eyes. "I'm not helping you until you tell me everything." She pulled at the door ferociously. "And you better clean this up," she yelled over her shoulder.

Jareth stood in the carnage of books. Watching her storm down the street, he whispered to her back, "I would move the stars for you. I just can't tell you how."

Magic was always harder to believe the older you were. He knew that. He'd watched many a child grow from wildly fanciful to scoffing at the idea to even buy a Santa Claus figurine. It was much harder to watch the change in Sarah.

"I can't live within you."


End file.
